Bulgarian Easter Bread! KOZUNAK With CARAMEL- Step By Step!

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option with a similar texture.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk offers a lower-calorie alternative, while water is budget-friendly.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds natural sweetness with a unique flavor.

raisins

🥗Healthier: dried cranberries

💰Cheaper: chopped dates

Dried cranberries provide a tart flavor, while dates are often less expensive.

Dissolve 7g fast-action dried yeast in 125ml lukewarm whole milk with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon flour, and leave it for 10 minutes.

Beat 3 eggs with 100g sugar and add 30ml sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, zest from 1 lemon, and 1 tablespoon rum. Mix well and set aside.

In a bowl, sift 500g quality plain flour two times and add a pinch of salt.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour, then add the yeast mixture which should have bubbles indicating it is active. Mix well.

Sprinkle the table with extra flour and knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes until it is smooth, soft, and lightly sticky.

Stretch the dough and grease it with 70g unsalted butter at room temperature, kneading to absorb the butter for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until all the butter is absorbed and the dough is soft, elastic, and smooth.

Preheat the oven to 30°C without fan. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover it, and leave it in the oven (turned off) for 1 hour to rise until doubled in size.

After 1 hour, divide the dough into 4 balls and roll each into long wicks about 50cm. Brush with caramel and close them. Optionally, you can use other fillings like chocolate or raisins.

Twist each wick by rotating both ends in different directions to create a braid.

Preheat the oven to 30°C without fan again. Brush a 23cm cake tin with butter and place the braided dough in the center. Cover with foil but do not tighten it, and leave it in the oven (turned off) for another 1 hour.

After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 220°C without fan. Pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan/dish and place it on the bottom oven rack.

Brush the dough with beaten egg white and sprinkle with wet sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake for about 40 minutes, starting at 220°C for the first 7-8 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 175°C and cover with aluminum foil for the next portion of baking. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens